WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985
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HE SAID WHILE HE PERSONALLY REGARDED DIRECT ELECTIONS SUPER FOR TO, INDIRECT ELECTIONS, AND DIRECT AND/OR INDIRECT ELECTIONS ON A GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCY BASIS SUPERIOR TO SUCH ELECTIONS ON A FUNCTIONAL BASIS, HE DID NOT REGARD IT AS AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM.
# HE FELT IT WAS A PROBLEM IN ANTICIPATION OF 1997 AND THERE. WERE MORE IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS TO TACKLE.
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MR WONG SAID HE HAD IN MIND TWO IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS, BOTH CONCERNING ACCOUNTABILITY, AT THE CENTRAL AND AT THE LOCAL LEVELS.
AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL, HE POINTED OUT THAT AT PRESENT TOP LEVEL EXECUTIVE POSITIONS WERE FILLED BY CIVIL SERVANTS WHO WERE PERSONALLY ONLY SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY.
THIS MEANT THEY WERE NOT REMOVABLE EVEN IF THEY HAD MADE ILL-CONSIDERED AND ILL-JUDGED DECISIONS AS LONG AS THEY HAD FOLLOWED ESTABLISHED PROCEDURE, HE SAID.
+THE SOLUTION LIES IN CHANGING SUCH POSITIONS INTO ONES TO BE FILLED BY POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR SUCH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO BE SUBJECT TO POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY, + MR WONG SAID.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THOSE APPOINTEES COULD INITIALLY BE SERVING CIVIL SERVANTS GIVEN THE OPTION TO REMAIN AS CIVIL SERVANTS AND BE CALLED PERMANENT AND DEPUTY SECRETARIES, OR TO ASSUME THE NEW ROLES AS MINISTERS OR VICE-MINISTERS.
HE ADDED THAT CONSIDERATION SHOULD ALSO BE GIVEN TO INITIALLY APPOINTING UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FE JUNIOR MINISTERS, THEN MINISTERS.
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, MR WONG SAID ALTHOUGH DISTRICT BOARDS HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 1981 AND THAT THE ELECTED ELEMENT HAD NOW BEEN BOOSTED TO COMPRISE TWO-THIRDS OF THE MEMBERSHIP THE DECISION-MAKING POWERS HAD REMAINED RESTRICTED AND CONSTRICTED.
+ IT IS TRUE THAT ADMINISTRATION AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL HAS IMPROVED, HOWEVER, MOST BOARD MEMBERS ARE STILL DISGRUNTLED WITH THE IR INABILITY TO SOLVE LOCAL PROBLEMS WHEN FACED WITH THE OFFICIAL REPLY THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH CENTRAL POLICY.
+ IT IS OBVIOUS THAT A MORE IMAGINATIVE DIVISION OF LABOUR AMONG OUR THREE TIERS OF GOVERNMENT IS CALLED FOR, HE SAID.
MR WONG SAID INCREASING THE DECISION-MAKING POWERS OF DISTRICT BOARDS HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF CIVIC EDUCATION THROUGH PRACTICE.
+ IT IS ONLY THROUGH PRACTICE THAT A DEMOCRATIC TRADITION, HICH IS SO VITAL FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL, CAN BEGIN TO EMERGE,+ HE SAID.
/MR WONG